Females and young are a reddish-brown, while bulls turn blue-grey with age.
There are 11-14 very distinctive white stripes on the sides, a white patch
on both the upper and lower throat, two white cheek spots, and a chevron
between the eyes. The slender legs are tawny with black and white markings.
Males have a small mane on the nape of the neck and along the spine. There
is no beard on the throat (imberbis = not bearded). The spiraled
horns are found only in the males and grow 60-90 cm / 2-3 feet long, having
two twists.

Ontogeny and Reproduction

Gestation Period: 8 months. Young per Birth: 1 Weaning: After 6 months. SexualMaturity: Females by 15 months, males mature sexually
at this time, although they do not become socially mature until their 4th
or 5th year. Life span: Up to 15 years.

There is no fixed breeding season, so calves are born throughout the year.
After birth, the young lie concealed away from their mother.

Ecology and Behavior

The lesser kudu is primarily active at night and in the early morning, seeking
shelter shortly after sunrise. The alarm call is a sharp bark. The
lesser kudu is shy and wary, and when startled flees with the tail held up,
revealing the white underside. Leaps of up to 2 meters / 6.6 feet have
been recorded, though these are not common. Individual home ranges
average 2.2 square kilometers for males and 1.8 square kilometers for females.
These areas overlap extensively with no apparent territoriality, and
different parts are used at different times of the year. Population
density rarely exceeds 1 animal per square kilometer.

The lesser kudu is classified as low risk, conservation dependent by the
IUCN (2002), and is not listed by CITES.

Remarks

Kudu, or koodoo, is the Hottentot name for the greater kudu,
a close relative. The 'lesser' denotes the smaller size and lack of
mane of this antelope when compared to the greater kudu. Tragos
(Greek) a he-goat;.elaphos (Greek) a
deer; in combination referring to an antelope. Imberbis
(Latin) unbearded: a reference to the absence of a mane on the throat, as
found in the greater kudu.

French

Petit koudou (Walther, 1990)

German

Kleiner Kudu (Walther, 1990)

Literature Cited

IEA (Institute of Applied Ecology) 1998. Tragelaphus imberbis.
In African Mammals Databank - A Databank for the Conservation and
Management of the African Mammals Vol 1 and 2. Bruxelles: European Commission
Directorate. Available online at
http://gorilla.bio.uniroma1.it/amd/amd221b.html